Arrival of the Firebird
by YokamiYoake
Summary: After Tenrou, everythin had changed. The world had gone on without them for 7 years. As it starts to become to much, Lucy insist on doing a mission, but Natsu is the only one that can come with her. But what none of the knows is that this mission is not coing to go as planed, and Lucy vil learn the hard way just how far Natsu is willing to go for her. My first story.
1. The Beginning

Chapter 1  
The Beginning

21 years ago year 770

Big waves washed over the ship and freezing rain hit from all angels in the howling winds. The ship was like a wooden toy in the storming ocean.  
Suddenly a big crash was heard, and the ship came to an sudden stop. The people cried when they realized they had struck a underwater rock.  
Then panic broke out as everyone tried to get in the lifeboats, their only chance of survival. Among these were a small family, a five-year-old girl with her parents. But they got separated by the panicking masses, and the last thing the little girl remembered was the deck coming towards her at an alarming rate. She was only five, with golden blond hair, tan skin and eyes as blue as the ocean itself, and they normal shone with sunlight.

The next morning found the storm gone and the sea calm, an abandoned shipwreck lay half way underwater, and on the deck a small girl lay unconscious, after a while she woke up and found herself alone and at the mercy of the god's. And like that she stayed, waiting for someone to come back to get her, but no one came.  
4 days passed in a blur, the little girl laid like dead, dehydrated and starving, no longer having the strength to move. But out of the sunrise came a giant bird with feathers in the colors of crimson and gold, a phoenix by the name of Ra. The Phoenix saw the lifeless form in the ship, sensing that she was still alive, so he lifted her up and took her to his home.

He tended her for a week before she woke up, another before she had the strength to move and talk, and two more weeks before she again to go outside. In an attempt not to scare her the Phoenix had transformed into a man with red hair, dark skin and golden eyes. He was sadden when he realized the girl had lost her memory, the trauma of what she's been trough had wiped it clean.  
Ra tried to find her parents, but to no avail, no one recognized her and her memory never returned. So the mighty phoenix decided to raise the girl himself, naming her Dawn Sunrise as it symbolized hope and a new beginning. He also taught her magic, the ability to control fire and summon wings whenever she might need it, he also taught her to heal, as it was an old secret art among phoenix. But if she ever found herself empty of magical power, she also trained in more physical arts, running, jumping and swimming. He also gave her two flaming swords forged from a pair of his feathers, and honed her skills whit these weapons to perfection.

12 years ago year 779

Dawn was now the age of 14, her hair longer and her skin tanned from being outside all the time.  
She was just returning back to the small cottage that was the only home she knew. She had been spending the night high up on a cliff in order to study the stars, this knowledge was important for navigation. But when she ran up towards her home on a shelve in the cliff facing the ocean, her face paled.  
There were marks of battle on the once peaceful ledge, the cottage and willow trees were burned, crushed and destroyed. And... there were blood and feathers on the ground, and her father was nowhere to be seen. He had been taken away from her by evil mages that wanted his powers. She was alone again...

She swore she'd never stop searching for him, even if it took the rest of her life. For he was her father, and the only family she knew. 

11 years ago year 780

She had been traveling for a year when she meet him, a boy the same age as her, 15. He's long hair was the color of raven feathers, it was tied up in a samurai style ponytail, and his eyes like amber, with the same calm light as the moon in them.  
They meet deep in a forest, and since they both was alone they stayed together for the night, she learned that he's name was Dusk Twilight. He was searching for him mother, whom he only called Nyx, a black phoenix, or shadow bird that had taken him in after he ran away from an orphanage were they treated the kids badly. Nyx had been taken away by the same mages that took Ra. In the light of the discovery that they had the same mission, they decided to travel the land together and they become an invincible team, earning the nicknames of Wildfire (Dawn) and Nocturne (Dusk). For many years they traveled and became close, very close. 

7 years ago Year 784

Dusk and Dawn were both now 19, and still traveled the land, earning money from playing music, Dusk on a violin and Dawn played harp and sang. They also took jobs from people that hired mages to do thing only a mage could do.  
They had been hired by the mayor of Impdale Town to capture a troublesome thief that used magic to get away after the crime. They had followed his tracks to a cave a few miles from town. Inside they found the man, in the process of hiding his latest stolen treasures. When he saw them he first tried to fight, but it was clear he stood no chance ageist the combined forces of shadow and fire, and he ran into the next chamber of the cave in an attempt to escape.  
Dusk and Dawn entered and were stuck by the beauty of the room in front of them, glowing crystals in various sizes dotted the floor, ceiling and walls. Without noticing it themselves, they had wandered to the middle of the floor, and then they heard a sound behind them, they spun around but there was nothing. The sound was heard again, a crazed laughter that sounded from all around them. They looked down just in time to see crystals coming out if the floor at an alarming speed, they summoned their wings and tried to fly but was encased in crystal, frozen it time. And there they would stay for 7 years, only company being the mage thief that trapped them, until two mages from Fairy Tail came there on the same mission as themselves.


	2. Just another mission

_'' thought ''_

**'' Speaking''**

Arrival of the Firebird

Chapter 1:

Just another mission...

Year 791

Lucy Heartfilia sat at the bar, enjoying the peace and quiet of the beautiful summer morning. She took a sip from her drink before turning on her barstool to survey the still slightly unfamiliar guildhall. It was weird to think about, it had only been a few weeks since they had come home from Tenrou, and discovered that 7 years had passed while they'd been frozen in time. The world had moved on, without giving them a second thought. Bisca and Alzack had married, Asuka had been born, Fairy Tail had gone from one of the biggest to one of the smallest guilds in Fiore and the guildhall had moved into a small rundown windmill outside of town... and Jude Heartfilia had died.

But despite everything that had happened, everyone seemed to settle back into their old lifestyle fairly quickly. Just a few stools' away from Lucy, Cana was drinking from a barrel of her favourite beer, Erza was polishing some of her various weapons, Wendy and Romeo talking while Charla sat nearby, Gray was making mini ice-sculptures out of boredom (not noticing that he'd lost his shirt somewhere), Juvia was for once not stalking him, but actually talking with him. Levy was reading a book, happily unaware of her surroundings, including Gajeel that was watching her from his dark corner, while eating a pile of scrap metal. Various other members mingled about, discussing missions, laughing, eating and generally minding their own business. All in all, it was a very peaceful and calm morning, mostly due to the fact that a certain pink haired dragon slayer had jet to arrive for the day. Though Lucy had a feeling that _that_ was about to change.

As if summoned by that thought, the doors swung open just a few moments later, revealing Natsu, with Happy hovering over his shoulder, as they entered the guild with all their usual energy. Almost immediately, the blue exceed pulled a nicely wrapped fish out of his bag and made a b-line Charla, Wendy and Romeo's table, the children by now sporting identical blushes. Natsu grinned after his partner, before heading towards the bar were Lucy sat.

Lucy watched as Natsu entered and couldn't help but admire the way the light played on his soft-jet-spikey hair, and cast his handsome face in relief. Although she was slightly disappointed that he was wearing one of his new one-sleeved jackets instead of the open vest from before. _'' Damn it, why did he have to go and hide that body of his? Those jackets take half the fun out of getting a piggy-back ride from him. Although I wouldn't mind taking it of him myself, preferably somewhere private... with a bed...and then I could touch as much as I want... Wait, were did that come from? I can't think of Natsu like that! He's my teammate for kami's sake! And he never thinks of me that way, he probably doesn't even know what love is... which is slightly depressing when I think about it''_

**'' Oy, Luce! You home?''** Lucy was startled out of her thoughts as a familiar voice called right next to her. Whipping around she prepared to give a lecture in how it was rude to shout in people's ears, only for it to die on her tongue as she came face to face with the subject of her wandering thoughts. Lucy could feel a blush rising on her cheeks as she realised how close they were, their noses just a couple inches apart. _''Kami, how did I never notice how beautiful his eyes are? They're like onyx mixed with black gold, or deep shaded forest pools. How can eyes even have that colour?'' _And once again her brain betrayed her, making her fail to realise that Natsu had pulled back some and was actually talking.

**'' … since it's been a while?''** again she could feel a blush crawl up her cheeks, darker than before, it almost felt like her face was burning. **'' Sorry Natsu, I just a bit out of it today. What did you say?''** She couldn't help but feel like an idiot for having to ask. He was right next to her, for kami's sake. Natsu gave her a look that clearly said that he thought she was being weird again, but luckily he didn't give voice to the thought.

**'' I was just asking if you wanted to go on a mission with me, just the two of us, since it's been a while?... but if you don't feel well...''** He straightened as he talked, managing to look both worried, eager and unsure at once. _''Does he have any idea how cute he is when he's worried?''_ It was only when he lifted an eyebrow that Lucy realised that he waited for her to answer.

**'' Don't worry, I'm fine, just thinking about everything that have happened, you know.''** She gave a reassuring smile **'' And a mission sounds fun, we haven't really been on one without Gray and Erza since our first mission. And I need money for my rent''** Immediately Natsu's smile grew into his usual million jewel grin, before it turned mischievous as he responded with a twinkle in his eye.

**'' Great, why don't you choose the mission this time? That is, if you want something else than fighting monsters''**

Lucy giggled as she slipped of the stool and skipped over to the mission board, checking for a suitable mission. She was unaware of the dark eyes that followed her.

Natsu felt his expression soften as he watched the love of his life walk away to the other end of the bar, were the board was located. He sighed _''Love of my life, yea right. There is no way she would ever even consider me. She wants someone with good looks, manners and tender feelings, not someone that was raised in the wilds. I'm only her best friend... but as long as she's happy, that's all I need.''_ At that he released another, more depressed sigh. He'd liked her since day one, but hadn't realised just how much he loved her when they stood hand in hand on Tenrou. And he'd been trying to show her that ever since they came home. But apparently Lucy, even with all her romance books and ''experience'', couldn't take a hint. Even when it was less like a hint, and more like a huge, brightly coloured neon sign flashing on front of her. It was always '' You such a good friend, I have the best teammate ever, I hope I meet someone like you etc.'' Seriously, how did she **_not_** get it?

**''Hey, Natsu. How about this one?'' **Natsu blinked back to the real world as a paper was held up in front of his face, another blink and the text came into focus. Apparently Lucy had found a mission. He sends Lucy one of his special ''Luce-smiles'' (gentler and truer than his normal grins) and gently took the paper from her, inwardly smirking at her blush, maybe she wasn't totally blind after all.

The mission looked simple enough, but had a good reward. It was from the Mayor of Impdale Town, a small village in the mountains along Fiore's eastern border. They needed capable mages to capture a thief with strange magical powers that was harassing Impdale and the surrounding area.

**''Looks good, I get to kick some ass and the rewards good. It's more than enough to cover your rent for a couple months, Luce. When do you want to leave?''** Lucy smiled at her partner's eagerness and turned to lean her back against the bar, while Natsu waved Mira over to tell her they were taking the mission. She waited to white haired barmaid had gone back to serving the ever thirsty residents of Fairy Tail before speaking.

**'' Well, Impdale Town is on the other side of Fiore, so we should leave as soon as possible. How about we meet at the train station in... 1 hour? And one of us should tell Gray and Erza were we're going, just so they know. And don't think we'd been kidnapped or something''** Lucy giggled at the last part, and she could see the humour in Natsu's intense eyes as well, and she had to look away to hide jet another blush.

**''Sounds great, but do we have to take the train? I'd end up dead if I have to be on a train for that long! ...and could you tell the guys? I'd probably end up starting a fight or something'' **

The last part he added with an embarrassed look on his face, scratching the back of his head. Lucy had to bite her lip to keep from giggling at how cute he was being, but sweat dropped a few seconds later as she realised he had a point. He probably _would_ end up starting a brawl if he tried to talk to his teammates, especially Gray.

**'' Sure, I'll talk to them. And yes, we have to take the train, it'll take weeks with any other way of travel. You just go home and pack and meet me at the station in one hour, ok?''** Lucy tried hard to keep her voice normal, but some evidence of her suppressed laughter at the sight of Natsu's slightly green face managed to sneak in. Earning her a small glare from her pink haired teammate, before he gave a defeated sigh and jumped of the barstool and jogged out of the guild with a wave over his shoulder. Lucy allowed herself a few seconds to admire Natsu's retreating form before turning to find the other two members of Team Natsu.

Natsu called out to Happy before leaving the guildhall, using the action as an excuse to scan the guild and discreetly (he hoped) watch Lucy as she moved over to the table that was occupied by Fairy Tail's resident red haired sword maiden. And he couldn't help but thank the kami's for her taste in clothing. Today it was a pink V-necked T-shirt with the Fairy Tail symbol outlined in gold on the left side of her chest, right over her heart, and a white skirt that went halfway down her tights and had small golden stars along the hem. All in all, a very _Lucy_ outfit. Shaking his head to distract himself from his thoughts that was starting to wander towards how easy it wold be to take those clothes _of_ her, Natsu turned around to exit the guild as Happy zoomed towards him.

**''Luce picked a mission for us, so I'm gonna go home and pack. We're gonna meet at the train-station in an hour, you wanna come?''** Natsu spoke as the little exceed hovered by his side, obviously wanting to zoom back to the other cats. Happy gave him a calculating look before answering, almost whispering.

**'' You're gonna try to tell her, aren't you?''** Smiling slyly when Natsu gave a nervous nod **''I'm gonna stay here, I don't want to ruin anything. Have fun, and don't do something... naughty ''** With those parting words, the blue-furred exceed flew away, snickering at his pink-headed partner's tomato coloured face. _''That cat is way too sneaky for his one, or anyone's, good... but at least I'm gonna be alone with Lucy... I'm gonna die...''_ His thoughts kept going along the same lines as he walked home, resulting in a quite nervous dragon slayer. It didn't take long to pack the things he would need, but he used almost three quarters of an hour to actually _find_ the items. Natsu slung his pack onto his shoulder and left his house, setting course for the station to meet his partner. As he arrived, he saw Lucy already there and waiting for him. **''Sorry, I couldn't find my bedroll''** He said as he jogged up to her, praying he wasn't to late. The blond cold be even more terrifying than Erza when she wanted to.** '' It's alright, I just got here''** She smiled up at him before looking around **'' Where's Happy? He's usually with you always.''** Natsu grinned at the question, rubbing his neck sheepishly as he answered.

**''He, Charla and Lily has been planning to visit the other exceeds for a while now, so I told him to go with them''** Lucy nodded in understanding, before both of them turned to watch as their train slowed to a stop by the platform. As he let his partner enter first, Natsu couldn't help but feel like something was going to happen on this mission, something bad. He tried to push the feeling down, dismissing it as nerves since it was their first real mission sines they almost died at Tenrou. And as he sat down in his seat, and the train started to move, his stomach distracted him enough to stop thinking about it. Leaning back, one last thought went through his brain before he fell asleep ''_After all, it is just another mission... right?''_


	3. A cave?

**IM ALIVE!**

**Is really sorry it's taken me so long to update this story, but its been quite a busy time. I'm looking for a permanent job, I'm working on my drivers license and that means driving classes at once or twice a week. Pluss the weather have been really bad, we even lost all power for ca 48 hours at the worst.**

**Anyway, here is the next chapter, only one or two more (I think), And I'll try really, really hard to update sooner next time, promise :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Fairy Tail, only my OC's :'( But if I did Natsu would have kissed Lucy already, and all the dragons would be alive ;)**

**Enjoy :D:D**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

** A cave?**

The landscape whistled past as the train moved onward towards their destination, outside the window the scenery had changed from waiving grasslands to flowing hills as they got closer and closer to the mountains at Fiores eastern border. Inside a pink haired youth had fallen asleep, his head on the shoulder of his blond partner.

_''Oh my god, oh my god. Why did he have to fall asleep on **me**? Now I can't move... he better not drool on me''_ The thoughts raced around in Lucy's head as a brilliant blush lit up her face. It had been that way since Natsu fell asleep about an hour ago, and she was quite sure it was going to become permanent if he didn't move soon. A few seconds later, the young woman got her wish, although not in the way she had hoped. The train lunched forward, making the dragon slayers head fall from her shoulder to land in her lap, miraculously not waking him. As he only snuggled closer, Lucy's blush became even more brilliant, now rivalling even Erza's hair. And she had to fight the urge to flail her arms around and send Natsu to the other side of their little compartment.

When her initial panic had quieted down a bit, she couldn't help but notice how _cute_ he looked. Sighing softly as she placed one hand on his head, stroking his surprisingly silky hair, the celestial mage gave an absentminded mumble **''Why would have thought a dragon could be cute? But I fell cinda honoured that he trusts me this much''**

As they arrived in Impdale Town, a young man was already waiting for them on the platform. He was rather handsome, in a girly pretty boy way, with shoulder-length red hair and emerald green eyes.

**''I assume you must the mages from Fairy Tail? My name is Don, the major sent me to welcome you. And I must say it's an honour to meet someone as beautiful as you, Milady. Though I can't imagine why you would be a mage of all things, you belong in a castle.''** Don started talking as soon as Lucy and Natsu had gotten off the train, never talking his eyes of the blond summoner, and completely ignoring Natsu. He even went as far as grabbing her hand and bending down to kiss it before Lucy had time to react. Before his lips could make contact however, he was interrupted by a warning grown, as if by some large beast. The redhead spun around, striking a dramatic pose while pushing Lucy behind him, only to come face to face with a certain annoyed dragon slayer.

Natsu glared at the boy in front of him with distaste. After a few seconds he raised his eyes to the girl behind the redhead and had to fight against the laughter at the look she aimed at the back of Don's head, a mix of annoyed, insulted and amused. Talking a deep breath to calm himself, he turned his eyes back to the youth sending a message that could not be misunderstood **_''Stay away from her or else''_**

As Don (slightly pale and trembling) led them to the major's manor, Natsu made sure to stay close to Lucy's side, just in case someone else was stupid enough to flirt with her. Throwing a glance at the celestial mage walking next to him, he was surprised to find her with a thoughtful took expression on her face. Concerned that something Don had said had gotten to her he gave her a gentle nudge, catching her attention.

**''What are you thinking about, Luce? You look like something is bothering you''** He asked, giving his teammate a worried look, making Lucy turn to look at him. Getting slightly nervous when she didn't answer, but instead just continued to look at him like she was trying to solve a riddle, Natsu gave her his signature face-splitting grin, subconsciously scratching the back of his neck. A few moments later he gave a sigh of relief as the blond finally answered.

**''I'm fine, Natsu. I was just thinking about how...'' ''We're here! The major is waiting for you inside''** Just as Lucy had gathered the courage to tell her pink haired partner about what had been on her mind the hole day, namely him, she was interrupted by Don's voice. Neither of them had noticed that they had reached their goal.

Turning their eyes forward, they discovered that they stood in front of a beautiful modest, but obviously old, manor. It was built out of a warm reddish stone, with a more golden-white one around the windows and doors. A wide half-moon shaped staircase lead up to the front door. Along the sides, colourful flowers and plants bloomed in the many flowerbeds.

The inside was just as modestly grand as the outside, with marble floors covered in soft carpets, dark hardwood walls and delicate carvings in the ceiling.

Natsu and Lucy had little time to admire their surroundings, as the major was waiting just inside. He was tall and slender, with grey hair that had properly been as spiky as Natsu's in his youth, and he had a grandfather-y air about him. He welcomed them with a gentle smile, though Lucy noticed it seemed tiered and drawn. Before she could ask however, they were ushered into his office were they could talk in peace.

As they entered, the major immediately directed them to a couch while he himself sat in a soft looking chair in front of them on the other side of a dark table.

**''I'm Sano, the major of Impdale. I'm glad you could except this job on such a short notice. Now, I don't want to waste your time, so I'll just explain the job immediately. I hired to two in order to catch a thief that has been stealing around here. He's a mage and use a strange magic, we've found remnants of crystal in all the places he's broken into, although we don't know how he use said crystal. The only thing we know is that he'll steal most anything of value, but particular magical items. Some of the things he's stolen can be used as weapons. I know its dangerous but please, you have to help us, this man has been sucking us dry for years''** Sano looked pleadingly at the mages in front of him, both seemingly in deep thought. He hoped that meant they would take the job.

**''What do you mean, he's been sucking you dry for years? If the guy's been bothering you, why didn't you ask for help before?'' **Natsu's voice broke through the silence, making the other two in the room look at him. Lucy like she was about to ask the same question, and Sano with a strange look on his face. A look that seemed strangely like... grief.

** ''We did ask for help, 7 years ago. A couple of freelancer mages came by on their way to Magnolia, and they asked if we had a job for them. The thief had just started stealing around here, so we didn't know how dangerous he was. They managed to track him to his hideout, and confronted him there. But they never returned, the only reason we could think of is that he killed them. I didn't want to risk someone else's life again, but if he isn't stopped, this whole region will go bankrupt.''** The grief in Sano's voice and eyes became more and more apparent as he talked, it was clear that he blamed himself for the death of the two mages, even after all these years. Lucy only needed one look into those sad eyes before she knew there were no way they could walk away from this mission. A quick glace to her right told her that her partner was of the same opinion.

**''Don't worry, we'll get this thief of yours. And find out what happened to the two mages. It's the least we could do'' **Lucy smiled at the elderly major, both she and Natsu rising to leave. The grey-haired man also rose from his seat with a large smile on his face and moved around the table faster than she thought possible, to enthusiastically shack their hands.

**''Oh, thank you so much! That means more to me than you can imagine! I believe his hideout is to the north of the town, deep in the woods somewhere. At least it was what those two last reported before they went after him. If there is anything you need during your stay here, you only have to ask.''** Sano looked like he was about to cry of happiness at them accepting of the mission. Lucy couldn't help but smile at the man as she and Natsu made their way back to the town, it was too late to go out looking the hideout, so they decided to ask around a bit in case someone knew something more about their mysterious criminal and his powers.

The next day (-the major had provided a room for them) they said goodbye to Sano, and headed north in order to try to find the thief's infamous hideout. The forest was thick and full of life, from deer and elk, to the numerus birds in the trees, to wolves, lynx and birds of prey. All this made it almost impossible to find their targets track, but Natsu, who has a nose that'll put any bloodhound to shame, eventually led them to a nearly invisible path through the woods. It was not more than an animal track, but the scent of man was permeating the vegetation, hinting it was used often, and no one but a man with something to hide would use such an impassable path.

The narrow track leads them deeper and deeper into the ancient forest, were century old trees stretched for the sky and were overgrown with moss and lichen. And the deeper they got, the closer the trees stood. Just as it seemed like the forest was going to close around them in and impenetrable wall, the trees disappeared and gave way to a quiet clearing at the foot of a large raged cliff near the bottom of the largest mountain in the region. And in that cliff, nearly completely hidden behind fallen boulders, was the opening to a cave of unknown depth.

**'' We should hide and wait for our mysterious criminal before entering. He might have filled that place to the brim with traps.''** Lucy whispered when they had finally caught their breath after the trek through the forest. For some reason, the sight of the cave made her uneasy, she hoped it was just Sano's story about the two mages that had disappeared going after the same target as them, but the cave seemed _bad_. And she had a sneaky feeling that when she and her pink haired partner entered, that might not come back out ageing, at least not the same persons as they were now. But at the same time the cave had a sad air about it, like a prison were the captives had grown to tiered to call for help. Ageing the blonde's thoughts went to the two mages that had vanished, and maybe died, here, and she hoped she and Natsu wouldn't share the same faith.

**''_Sigh._ I agree, who knows what that damn thief have done to protect his hoard. And I can smell magic coming from that cave, it's old and faint, but it's there''** Natsu answered quietly after giving the clearing a quick survey. He really wanted to enter right there and then, especially because he thought he had caught the faint sent of two people aside from the thief under the scent of continues magic use. And something told him it was from the two mages from 7 years ago and that they were still alive in there. Just a faint hint of night, shadow and mountain air together with one of ocean, flowering island meadows and Birchwood smoke.

Sneaking along the forest edge, they found a good place to hide were they had a clear view in the cave opening, jet they themselves were completely out of sight. As they laid side by side on the forest floor, Lucy praised her lucky stars she had chosen to were pants that morning instead of her usual mini-skirts, and for her partner's warmth. The sun had already been low in the western sky when they had entered the clearing, since none of them was used to move through dense forest and had also tried not to leave any evidence of their presence. But they still had to wait till long after nightfall before Natsu, who had surprisingly good night vision, spotted movement in the clearing. A dark two legged form moved across the grass in a straight line from where the animal track ended to the opening in the cliff wall. As the shadowy form entered the cave, Natsu signalled for Lucy to follow him as he carefully crept after their target, taking care to stick to the shadows were they were less likely to be noticed.

Just as they entered the dark cave, they both stopped stiff as a magic pulse echoed from deep inside that mountain, and a weak voice sounded in their heads.

_'' Please, help us... we can't get free...''_ Sharing a nervous glance, the two partners continued cautiously forward into the cave. As they got further inside, they could hear the thief riffling with the newest of his stolen trinkets. Concealing themselves in the deep shadows of a dark corner, the teammates finally caught sight of the wanted criminal. He was a tall, slender man, built more like a graceful cat than the brutes they were used to be fighting. Just as Natsu was about to step out of his hiding spot to apprehend the thief, he rose from where he'd been sitting and walked deeper into the interior of the cave.

**''Ahhhh. A good night's work, if I can say so myself, those stupid villagers never learn. Now I'll just take a quick look at my Treasure, then its strait to bed''** A low mumble reached the dragon slayers ears, and he started to follow the man, quietly telling his beautiful partner what the thief had said, keeping an eye on the criminal all the while to make sure they weren't fount out.

Following their target, they saw an opening at the back of the main cave, with a weak, faintly pulsing, strangely comforting light shining out of it. A few moments more, and it became clear that the man in front of them were heading for that opening. The thief walked inside, and after waiting a bit to make sure the coast was clear, Natsu and Lucy slipped inside after him.

As soon as they entered the room, the two young mages stopped dead in their tracks. The light they had seen came from crystals, the hole room was filled with them, in all sizes imaginable, even someone that went from floor to ceiling like giant shining pillars. And almost all of them contained a breath-taking jewel or some other priceless treasure. But the largest, and brightest, of all were the one the thief stood in front of at the back of the cave, seemingly composed of multiple spires spread out in a fan like shape that grew up from the same base, and were fused together for about three quarters of their length, the tallest spire reaching a bit past halfway to the roof.

And inside the crystal, looking like they had been trying to dodge the growth of the beautiful diamond surrounding them, were two people. A young man with black hair, slight tan, a midnight blue shirt with a dark brown leather west over and dark pants tucked into black boots, he also had a long red ribbon tied around his long, samurai styled hair. Along with him were a young woman with long golden hair that reached her hip even in its high ponytail, skin as darker than even Natsu's, and dressed in a burnished orange strapless top under a short deep red, wide sleeved jacket with a high black collar and wide black bands around the hems and hands. Together with dark knee long semi-tight pants and dark ballerina shoes and a beautiful wrapping skirt in gold and crimson around her hip.

Their eyes were open, the boy's amber ones and the girl's ocean blue looked straight at the entrance were Natsu and Lucy stood, and as their eyes met, there was no doubt in their mind that this was the two lost mages. And once more, just as the thief turned and discovered the teammates, the soft voice sounded in their heads.

_''Help...please...''_


	4. Inside the thief's den

**(sneaks around corner, looks out into a dark, emty hall)**

**Emm...Hi people, Im alive! **

**Im sorry it have taken me so long to update my story, but I do have reasons! Trust me, I do. **

**First of all I have been looking for work, applied for a job, been to interview's and finaly gotten the job :D Said job is at least a hole days jurney from home, if you take the easy route. And they were short on staff so they wanted me down there as fast as possible. I had to move before I had found any plase to live (I still don't have one), so I been living in random places. For the most part without acess ti internett... On topp of it all I'm working on my drivers license...**

**Anyway, heres the new chapter, hopefully the next one will not be as... delied.**

** I'll be wery happy if you'll leve a review, critics, tips, comments, questions etc. But pleace, no haters, flamers or grammar-police. Im not english so deal with the mistakes. I will however be wery happy if you gently point them out :)**

**Disclamer: I do not own Fairy Tail, only the OC's.**

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**Chapter 3**

**Inside the thief's den**

_''Help...please...''_ The voice still echoed in the team's heads, and they couldn't tear their eyes away from those that were suspended above, trapped in the crystal. It was only when alarm flashed across the dark-skinned girl's face, and her eyes turned towards their right as if trying to warn them against something, that Lucy noticed that the thief she and Natsu had been hired to capture no longer stood in front of them. Instead he had run towards the right side of the room, maybe trying to sneak around and past them in order to make a break for door and escape.

Spinning around, Lucy reached for the whip at her hip, and let the Fleuve d'etoiles unfurl and stretch to break the ground in front of the freeing mage and stop him in his tracks. Just moments later, she felt Natsu's warm, strong arm wrap around her waist and lift her into the air as he jumped to avoid the dull, none-shining crystals that exploded out of the floor were she had been a heartbeat before. Turning her head slightly as they landed, Lucy nodded her thanks to the pink haired boy behind her, blushing slightly when he flashed a small smile in return before Natsu's face took stern look as they both turned towards their enemy.

** ''Be careful, Luce. There is something _wrong_ with this dude, he'll probably do anything to win. If we ain't watching our back's, we might end up joining those two up there.''** Indicating towards the giant crystal with the two young mages within behind them, he chanced looking away from the thief in order to send a quick look at his partner. Seeing her nod of agreement, he turned his onyx eyes back towards the man they were fighting. Just in time to see the thief gesture and notice the magic circle's that was appearing both underneath their feet, forcing the two fairies to jump out of the way again, landing some distance apart. Seconds passed by as the two sides faced each other, both waiting for the other to make a move. The silence in the cave was almost deafening, only the quiet pulsing of the luminous crystals, and the silent presence of the two trapped mages giving any indication that time passed. Narrowing his eyes, Natsu looked their adversary over, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was something terrible _off_ about the man.

**''Who are you, and why have you sealed two living people in crystal?''** The dragon slayers voice echoed in the quiet, shattering the feeling of time standing still. Lucy looked over to her pink haired partner, taking in the scowl on his face and the ribbons of fire dancing around his body. _''Jupp, he's pissed. Not that I blame him...and he looks really hot...''_ Feeling a blush crawl up her cheeks, again, the blond quickly tore her eyes away from the handsome man that was her teammate. Instead she threw a look up at the two in the crystal, noticing that they were watching the battle playing out in front of them with an intense mix on anger, hope, frustration and what she could only describe a worry in their eyes. And now that she thought about it, the light from the crystals seemed to have grown brighter and stronger, and it had stopped pulsing, as if it was reacting to the awakening of the young couple trapped within. Hearing a low crazed laughter, Lucy snapped her eyes away from the sealed ones and back towards their target.

**''Why? Why, he asks! Because they are things of beauty, magic and power, why else? Though their beauty did dwindle when they fell asleep... Those are my greatest treasure! As for my name, you can me... Gin!''** Throwing his hood back with a mad grin, he reviled messy silver hair. More than anything it looked he had been electrocuted. Seeing the bewildered and slightly disturbed looks on the faces of the Fairy Tail mages, he again started cackling like a mad hyena getting tickled. What the he didn't notice was the his 'greatest treasure' was very awake and very angry, their rage only increasing the more he laughed, the glow of the crystals growing with it to the point that they light up the cave like a midday sun, and a web of hair-thin cracks started to appear on their surface.

Gin gestured briefly, and needle shaped crystals started shooting up everywhere, forcing Natsu and Lucy to dodge, jump and dance to avoid getting impaled. They were both so focused on not getting hit, that neither of them noticed Gin melting into one of the crystal pillars. Nor that he started moving from one to another in order to get behind them. Just as the thief had gotten behind Natsu, and were about to attack, a voice sounded through the cave, seemingly out of nowhere.

**_'' Look out! Behind you, he's in the crystals!''_** The voice, obviously belonging to the girl in the crystal, was followed by a strong magical pulls that threw Gin's attack off, and caused him to miss by a mile. Not missing a beat, the dragon slayer spun around and slammed a flaming fist into the slightly dull spire behind him, shattering it into thousands of small pieces that glittered in the light. Gin barely had time to escape to another crystal. Swearing quietly, Natsu jumped back, trying to find which spire the silver haired mage had hidden himself in this time. Letting his kean eyes swep over the room, the pink haired dragon noticed that some of the crystals seemed to dull for a short moment, as if something was passing in front of them and blocked the light.

**''Luce, he's in the dull ones! Be carefull''** Hearing her partner's call, Lucy concentrated on the crystals, trying to find those Natsu was talking about. Her eyes were not as good as Natsu's, but after a moment she to noticed the slight dulling of the crystals. Giving a sharp nod that she it, the blond kept her focus on the crystals, trying her best to track the path of the thief. Their opponent speed however, was making it a rather hard task.

Gin moved swiftly from crystal to crystal, silently muttering under his breath, cursing his bad luck. How had he not noticed that the two mages he had tricked and trapped 7 years ago were suddenly awake? Or that their magic had saturated the crystals in the cave to the point where he had difficulty controlling them? He sent an annoyed glance up at the two suspended above, if he remembered correctly they had called themselves Dusk and Dawn, starting slightly as he got a pair of rather pissed glares in return. And for the first time he noticed that the stone around them were weakening, swallowing he realised they were trying to break free, and this time they might just succeed. As the reality of the situation hit him, Gin didn't notice that he had stopped, nor did he notice the whip about to hit the crystal he was currently hiding within. What he did notice however was that the spire suddenly exploded into a million pieces around him and sending him tumbling head over tails trough the cavern, crashing through several pedestals holding different magical items. Lifting his head from where he had landed, and shacking the dizziness away, he saw the blond female readying her whip for another attack, and the pink haired flame mage standing beside her. A creepy grin spread slowly across his lips a sinister idea formed in his head. Grabbing an ornate dagger from the ground beside him as he rises, he once ageing melted into the crystals.

Natsu narrowed his eyes as the thief fused into the crystals again, he didn't like the grin that had been on his face, and Natsu was sure he'd seen the man pick something of the floor. More that convinced that the crystal mage was up to something, the young dragon readied himself for an attack, his back against Lucy's and his eyes sweeping across the cave, trying to find their enemy. This time however, it was a lot harder due to the fact that Gin was moving a lot faster. Cursing silently Natsu slipped further into his stance, preparing to move at a moment's notice. And it was not a second to early, as at that moment showers of racer-sharp crystal needles started shooting trough the cave from every direction, seemingly at random. The never ending bombardment slowly forcing Natsu and Lucy away from each other as they tried to avoid being turned into a pincushion. But even in the midst of dodging lethal attacks, Natsu tried to keep an eye on the woman he loved. Dread flashed through his mind when he realised that Lucy was slowly but surely pressed backwards towards a suspiciously tall, flat and dull crystal. Knowing he had no way of reaching her in time, he called out a warning, desperately hoping it wasn't too late.

**''Lucy! Behind you!''** Lucy looked up at her partners panicked cry, before looking over her shoulder. She had been so focused at not getting hit by the needles, that she hadn't realised she was being lead into a trap. Her eyes widening in fear, the blond tried to jump forwards, even though she already knows it was too late to escape. Still she cried out in alarm as a pair on tin, strong, black clad arms wrapped around her torso, instantly immobilizing her own arms and hands. Keeping her from reaching her whip or the key's that still hang in her belt. Terror shot through her as her back collided with the smoot surface of the crystal, knocking the air out of her lungs and made black spots dance in front of her eyes. Closing her eyes, Lucy took several deep steadying breaths to calm herself. Second later the tickling feeling of a knife at her throat made the blood in her veins turn to ice, and her eyes snapped open to find Natsu staring at them in terror.

** ''**** 'nless ye want me to slice her pretty little neck bloody, you'll stay right where you are and don't move a muscle, boy! Ya see, kid, this knife here has some really interesting magic in it, all I hav'ta do is make just a tiny cut, just a few drops of blood, and she'll do exactly what I tell her.''** An evil smile spread over Gin's face as he watched rage and desperation mix with the terror in the eyes of the pink haired boy in front of him. But the thief also knew that the young man, he believed the girl had called him Natsu, would not risk the life or safety of the blond woman that Gin was holding captive. Speaking of the girl, the silver haired criminal could feel her testing his grip and trying to break free, he could almost smell her fear. Locking his eyes whit those of the fire mage, he's grin widened as a cruel idea formed in his brain. With a swift move, no more than a blur of his hands, he cut a shallow wound along the woman's collar bone, drawing blood that was immediately absorbed into the blade. Ignoring the cry of outrage from her young partner, as well as the pained gasp from the blond herself, Gin watched in fascination as the blood disappeared. A few heartbeats later, the girl stopped fighting and became absolutely still in his arms, and the silver haired maniac knew the blood spell had taken hold and the blond were now under his control. Quickly he changed his grip, as the pinkete looked just about ready to ignore all warnings and common sense and go for the kill. Gin pressed the handle on the knife into her hand and closed her fingers around it. Grinning evilly, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, making sure to talk just loud enough for the flame user to hear what he said.

** ''Now, my pet, I have only one order for you... I want you to _kill_ your beloved partner''**


End file.
